4 Expectations of Facebook Graph Search

Unless you have a favorite go-to tech source, you’ve likely Googled your way through Facebook’s announcement on Graph Search. Love it or hate it, the idea is being called a natural step. And though some people will say it’s going after Google, the new feature works differently than Google.

Facebook’s Graph Search is, in simple terms, a social search engine. Facebook is essentially running data it already maintains on its network – sort of like a prettier version of any given Microsoft Access database. It’s robust and it’s personal.

Facebook users – whether they realize it or not – have helped the social media site build a database of their likes and dislikes. Graph Search will be the most robust database of its kind on any social network. There are roughly a billion users and a trillion connections on Facebook. Unlike Google’s web search, Graph Search will use data already collected to give you the ability to search information from your friends. Graph Search is biased based on what your friends like, though you can search for all public posts on Facebook

2. You may be concerned about your privacy, but Facebook says there’s nothing to worry about.

For this rollout, you essentially won’t find out anything new about your Facebook pals. Graph Search only allows you to find out what’s been put out there publicly. For example, you might be able to find your friends who like trail running. A journalist from CNET found herself lost in a sea of pictures taken from San Diego in 1981. The information is already out there, but now you can find it more readily. Privacy will likely come up again as Graph Search expands.

3. For now, Graph Search is for people, places, interests and photos.

Graph Search shows you what your friends like

Graph Search may just be the perfect tool for travel and restaurant exploration. If you were visiting Los Angeles, you could find which restaurants locals like. You could find single women in New York. How about places your friends liked in Ireland? Graph Search will likely give more incentive to use the check-in feature on Facebook, especially for data collection.

4. If you’re thinking about making money off the Graph Search, just wait a minute.

Facebook says right now it’s a not about monetization. Right now, it seems this is just about improving the services on the site. Many people said this was a natural and expected step for Facebook. Still, Forbes staffer, Tomio Geron, points out that when a person has intent behind a search, they typically want to buy something. If you’re searching for restaurants, chances are you want to eat.

Obviously, there are still more questions as millions of users wait for the gradual roll out. One point of interest will be to see how Bing fairs with Facebook users. Bing will be used in cases when Graph Search cannot find an answer.